Presentation:

In an era of globalization and greater worldwide interdependence, research universities must examine how to provide greater opportunities for students to explore global programs.  In South Carolina, a variety of activities and projects are underway to tackle this mission while providing experiential and international learning for undergraduate students.  As a state with one of the highest concentrations of foreign direct investment in the country, South Carolina’s undergraduate institutions must take full advantage of what Zogby terms “the first globals,” the group of American students aged 18 to 29 that has grown up with unprecedented global connectivity and savoir-faire.  One approach explored by the University of South Carolina addresses demands for global leadership and competitiveness by offering service learning opportunities, which blend leadership and internationalization.  This initiative strives to develop global know-how on three levels: general awareness and a basic understanding of global relationships; mastery of specific inter-cultural skills; and potential expertise (in language, research, culture, etc.).

To illustrate the broad potential such initiatives have at research universities in the United States, the University of South Carolina has developed a dynamic, adaptable template for service learning, which it employed successfully by creating the Global Issues Immersion Camp in Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Template/General Suggestions

In the case of international service learning, guiding principles might include:

• the incorporation of meaningful community service as a component of academic coursework
• emphasis on student leadership by fostering student involvement in an international setting
• purposeful reflection on the value of a service learning experience

In order to create a meaningful service learning experience, it is recommended that universities consider the following steps:

1. Identify Local International Connections

• The recognition of existing community, regional, or state linkages to sites abroad can facilitate and accelerate the establishment of a more elaborate or specific inter-cultural collaboration.  Resources with potential utility in this respect range from city agencies to regional/state development agencies to private entities (Rotary Clubs).

2. Evaluate Linkages

• Before committing to any long-term project or sending students abroad, an assessment of the stability and longevity of existing linkages and a preliminary site visit are extremely important to ensure feasibility, interest, and security.  Preliminary visits enable university representatives to network with local contacts, undertake a thorough local needs assessment, and visualize logistical requirements.

3. Determine Feasibility of Project

• Once a site visit is completed and site feasibility determined, the cost feasibility must be examined.  First, potential sources of funding should be determined, such as fundraising, budgeted funds, and external grants.  Secondly, a thorough cost analysis should target major predicted expenditures like travel expenses and lodging.

4. Review Institutional Practices

• It is essential to ensure that any project is aligned with one’s institutional mission, both philosophically and structurally.  The end product should meet its goals and fit into a curriculum in terms of course credit, tuition, and faculty.  At this stage, the institution can seek possible cross-college cooperation and university exchange agreements.

5. Structure the Educational Experience

• Once the project has surmounted preliminary obstacles, it is necessary to construct the project’s delivery model, allowing students to maximize extracted benefit.  Ways to enrich service learning can include possibilities for independent research, cultural excursions, and discussions linking academic content to actual experiences.  It is also important to envision metrics by which the overall success of the program will be measured.

6. Promote Student Role in Educational Experience

• Because one of the project’s goals will most likely involve student leadership development, it is advised to encourage student input as early in the process as possible, eliciting participation in fundraising, research, program planning, etc.  Student discussion should be fostered at all levels, and faculty should offer guidance for student research or projects.

Romania Case Study

The aforementioned service learning template was put to the test at the University of South Carolina in spring 2005, with the inception of the Global Issues Immersion Camp, a cross-cultural venture in which eight business and eight liberal arts undergraduate students designed and implemented a camp curriculum for Romanian high school students.

1.   Identify Local International Connections

• With the University of South Carolina’s strategic mission leaning toward collaborations with emerging democracies and developing economies, the study determined that the Columbia chapter of the World Affairs Council might prove a valuable resource, as it presided over South Carolina’s Sister City relationships in Eastern Europe.

2. Evaluate Linkages

• Upon further investigation, Columbia’s long-standing connection to Cluj-Napoca, Romania, bolstered by multiple economic development trips and previous exchange agreements, appeared to be healthy and stable.  This rendered Cluj-Napoca a prime candidate for further consideration for undergraduate involvement.  A first visit to the city materialized in 2003, during which a comprehensive needs assessment revealed a strong desire for American interaction with local high school students to aid them in improving their English, encouraging their exploration of models of democracy, and enabling them to hone entrepreneurial and other business acumen.  The project determined that a local high school could conduct a camp with lodging and local arrangements handled by Sister City connections and local assistance.

3. Determine Feasibility of Project

• Once program and site specifics were identified, various funding sources were scouted out to help finance the endeavor.  The camp was sponsored through corporate donations, fundraising, university budgeted funds, and a variety of travel grants/scholarships.  The collected funds were allocated to airfare for students and directors, teaching materials, and gifts (lodging was donated by the City of Cluj-Napoca), which totaled approximately $20,000.

4. Review Institutional Practices

• The Global Issues Immersion Camp was well-aligned with the university’s strategy of internationalization.  However, the project’s logistical fit remained a question.  After identifying a willing partner in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Business School agreed to offer the class within Arts and Sciences as a cultural awareness requirement.  Teaching was split evenly between Business School and Arts and Sciences faculty.

5. Structure the Educational Experience

• In designing the project’s delivery, a three-credit spring semester course was created featuring weekly topical readings and research, and lectures and presentations (delivered by faculty experts, Romanian citizens, and Peace Corps workers) on subjects such as Romanian geopolitics, business, and economic development.  The seminars were supplemented with encouragement of external research projects and cultural visits in-country.  Weekly journal entries provided a method to assess the program effectively.

6. Promote Student Role in Educational Experience

• Student leadership opportunities were developed through discussion of teaching topics, student-led curriculum design and evaluation, student-organized fundraising, and brainstorming American extra-curricular activities for the camp.

7. Project in Action

After a semester of work and several years of planning, the Global Issues Immersion Camp took place in the heart of Transylvania, bringing together American and Romanian students for two weeks in July 2005.  To ensure a successful run, American students reviewed the camp’s strategy, surveyed all facilities, and polled attendees for expectations and personal objectives.

Student teams led daily teaching sessions, executing their hand-crafted curricula.  They reinforced the Romanians’ immersion experience by speaking in English and leading American-style extra-curricular activities.  To reinforce and enrich the American students’ experience, project leaders engaged in daily debriefings, and students’ journal entries allowed reflection.  Visits to local heritage sites, a rural family homestead, and a Romanian civil wedding provided students the opportunity to observe and experience the culture.

To enhance the experience in the future and benefit from assessment opportunities, camp leaders provided the Romanian students a chance to offer feedback through evaluation.  American undergraduates commented on the experience through a final debriefing and reflective journal entry.

Several observations helped to evaluate what aspects of the program were successful or unsuccessful.  Modules in pop culture and entrepreneurship worked well.  American students were pleased with the Romanians’ proficiency in the English language and intellectual sophistication.  Site facilities were reported to be suitable and functional, while the locally-arranged activities were exceptional.  Financing issues proved a major challenge that would most likely persist in the future; however, the overall project was a success and poised for reenactment in subsequent years.

Follow-up with American participants yielded positive trends: several students proceeded to enroll in additional study abroad programs, two students pursued international research, two students were named Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars, and a majority of students graduated with globally-focused majors (International Business, International Studies, foreign languages).

Discussion:

The group discussion focused on the application of international programs for undergraduate students.

• Based on today’s case study, are there ways to apply this model at your university? 
• Given that this case study used a teaching model, what are creative ways to augment the research component?
• How might your institution capitalize on existing resources and talent pools to encourage cross-disciplinary student learning and research?
• How would you envision creatively using technology in international service learning projects?
• Which assessment methods would you deem appropriate in evaluating outcomes of service learning projects?
• What role might the Reinvention Center play in encouraging opportunities for experiential and service learning in emerging democracies?

Q:     I am surprised that Romanians had sufficient knowledge of the American university structure to articulate the desire to collaborate in such a way.  How was that the case?

A:     The Romanians did not necessarily have an intimate knowledge of American educational structure; however, they asked for people who could impart specific knowledge about specific subjects to their high school students, and we thought that we could make that happen.

Q:     How did this initiative get started; what initially interested you in this project?

A:     In 1989, a colleague asked if it would be possible to accept several Bulgarian students to the Moore School of Business, and we agreed, despite difficulties in obtaining transcripts and official documentation.  This sparked an interest in connecting the University of South Carolina with emerging democracies.  Then, we had a student connection with the Columbia World Affairs Council, and we asked what was going on there.  It was at that point that we were keyed in to Columbia, South Carolina’s relationships with Eastern Europe.

Q:      It would be interesting to do more longitudinal studies as to the impact such an experience has on participating American students.  Have you kept tabs on these students, and how this experience has affected their growth?

A:      In the short term, we have already seen exceptional results.  One of our students is in graduate school with an international focus, another is completing an international MBA, while another has engaged in significant research in economic development.  The experience in Romania proved a great stepping stone to further international inquiry and study.

Q:      How much demand does such a program have, and how does one scale up such a program for larger student populations?

A:      Demand seems to depend on the nature of the program and how well-established it is within its institution.  In the case of the Romania program, in subsequent years, word-of-mouth advertising generated interest.  Regarding scaling up such programs, there is no way to target an entire student body with only one type of international experience.  It is important to be innovative with study abroad and offer diversity in programming.  The keystone of this particular program is the opportunity to study with faculty; there needs to be a departmental commitment and relatively flexible curriculum in order to succeed.

Q:      How will fundraising and sustainability be made a part of this program?  Is there a learning component?

A:      Fundraising was fun but challenging for the students. Various aspects of the program will continue to evolve as demands and conditions change.  Students enjoyed being involved in this aspect and providing input, and they also provided unlimited creativity and ingenuity.  In addition to traditional fundraising, it is important to consider grants or scholarships that can be made available.

Q:      This type of program, especially one that takes students abroad, requires a lot of work and a huge time investment for preparation.  Do these programs necessarily have to be on an international scale?

A:      No, in fact, the University of South Carolina has started to develop service learning activities with a domestic focus.  For instance, plans have begun for students to aid rural South Carolinians in business planning.  It requires less time and effort to implement this type of program.

Recommendations:

For Individual Campuses

• Universities can develop diverse experiential learning programs to enhance and globalize undergraduate leadership development.  Such initiatives have great potential to not only contribute to students’ personal development, but also to inspire them to pursue increased global awareness, in-depth cross-cultural understanding, and international expertise in academia and in their careers.  International service learning is an example of such a program.
• Research universities need to better vocalize to students that non-traditional academic experiences are as valuable, if not more valuable, than a traditional campus-based collegiate career.  Students can attain richer academic experiences in university curricula that offer greater flexibility for service learning and faculty-led endeavors that receive institutional support. 
• Partnerships within a system of universities create more choices of programmatic offerings for students by sharing scarce resources. By leveraging these resources, schools can pave the way for sustainable development of service learning or other alternative study programs.

For The Reinvention Center

• The Reinvention Center offers an unparalleled opportunity for research universities to create a clearinghouse for collaboration in international experiences.  It should be our priority to foster the creation of consortial arrangements to increase the quality and diversity of international programs.          

References/Resources:

Websites

1. University of South Carolina Office of Student Engagement http://www.sc.edu/studentengagement/
2. University of South Carolina Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) presentation by Dr. Edward Zlotkowski,
Bentley Service-Learning Center, on January 11, 2007 http://www.sc.edu/cte/docs/zlotkowskiRelated.pdf
3. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, on Undergraduate Programs http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/-programs/index.asp?key=20

Publications

1. John Zogby, The Way We’ll Be: The Zogby Report on the Transformation of the American Dream (Random House, 2008).
2. American Association for Higher Education series on Service Learning in the Disciplines: Learning by Doing, 1998

POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
An Interdisciplinary Approach to International Service Learning and Leadership. The Reinvention Center Conference Proceedings 2008. Washington, DC. Carolyn S. Jones, Kristia H. Finnigan,  
Andrew J. Schwark, University of South Carolina.